grammar
passive voice
The form
The Passive Voice is formed by: Subject + form of to be + Past Participle.
Example: A letter was written.
Note the differences between Dutch and English:
| Dutch |
|
English |
|
| o.t.t. |
Het boek wordt gelezen |
present simple |
The book is read |
| o.v.t. |
Het boek werd gelezen |
past simple |
The book was read |
| v.t.t. |
Het boek is gelezen |
present perfect |
The book has been read |
| v.v.t. |
Het boek was gelezen |
past perfect |
The book had been read |
The use
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action.
It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.
Example:
My bike was stolen.
Fact: my bike was stolen.
I do not know, however, who did it.
Sometimes the passive voice is more polite than the active voice:
Example:
A mistake was made.
The fact is that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone
Click on the links to do the exercises by making passive sentences.
passive voice - extra
Passive voice - extra
The examples
| Tense |
|
Subject |
Verbs |
(prepositional) Object |
| Present Continuous |
Active: |
Rita |
is writing |
a letter |
| |
Passive: |
A letter |
is being written |
by Rita |
| Past Continuous |
Active: |
Rita |
was writing |
a letter |
| |
Passive: |
A letter |
was being written |
by Rita |
| Past Perfect |
Active: |
Rita |
had written |
a letter |
| |
Passive: |
A letter |
had been written |
by Rita |
| Future Perfect |
Active: |
Rita |
will have written |
a letter |
| |
Passive: |
A letter |
will have been written |
by Rita |
passive voice - overview all tenses
|
Tense
|
Form of to be & past participle (voltooid deelwoord
|
Examples
|
|
Present simple
|
am, is, are + made
|
Wine is made from grapes.
Many cars are made in Japan.
|
|
Present continuous
|
am, is, are + being + sent
I am sending the document right now.
|
The document is being sent right now.
I am being sent to work in the London office.
|
|
Past simple
|
was, were + invited
|
John was invited to speak at the conference.
We were invited to Daniel and Mary’s wedding.
|
|
Past continuous
|
was, were + being + washed
Someone was washing the dog when I got home.
|
The dog was being washed when I got home.
Their cars were being washed while they were in the mall shopping.
|
|
Future (will)
|
will be + signed
|
The contract will be signed tomorrow.
The documents will all be signed by next week.
|
|
Future (going to)
|
am, is, are + going to be + built
|
A bridge is going to be built within the next two years.
New houses are going to be built in our neighbourhood.
|
|
Present perfect
|
has, have + been + sold
|
That start-up has been sold for $5 million.
The rights to his book have been sold for $250,000.
|
|
Past perfect
|
had + been + hired
|
The new manager had been hired before John left the company.
All the employees had been hired before the store opened.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Modals: can/could
|
can, could + be + issued
|
A passport can only be issued at the embassy.
He said the documents could be issued within the week.
|
|
Modal: have to
|
have to, has to, had to + be + arranged
|
A babysitter has to be arranged for this evening.
Joan’s travel plans have to be arranged by December.
|
|
Modal: must
|
must + be + stopped
|
Criminals must be stopped before they commit crimes.
|
